Tag Archives: writing as thinking

Think in ink

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

Putting your thoughts on paper gives rigour to your thinking. Vague notions can no longer hide in the dark recesses of the mind, they must be brought into the light where they can be examined more closely.

Thinking is only valuable when it can be expressed

If your thinking just stays in your head, it’s not of much value to anyone – even to yourself.

Writing crystallises your thinking, even if it’s just a few words or half a sentence. It frees up short-term memory space – by holding your thoughts on paper rather than in your head – so creativity can flow once more. Mind maps are a great tool when exploring ideas. As you quickly jot down ideas and chunk them together new, related ideas quickly spring to mind.

If you are writing process instructions or specifications, more complete sentences will help make your thinking more precise. Writing forces deep and complete understanding that’s difficult to get by just thinking or talking.

thinking and writing are recursive activities

Something special happens when you force your thoughts onto paper. “Almost” ideas become more concrete, better understood and actionable.

‘The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation… The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.’ Jacob Bronowski

Action – start writing your thoughts

Struggling with a difficult issue? Start writing!

Paper, white board or the back of a bus ticket; single words or full sentences – it doesn’t matter. Just get your thoughts out there where you and others can examine and build on them.

Think before you consult when writing policies

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Top view of co-workers planning a strategy Free Photo
Business photograph designed by Pressfoto – Freepik.com

Employee consultation has become a ‘sacred cow’ when writing policies and procedures. There’s a tendency for organisations to involve all possible stakeholders so that everyone can have their say when defining how things work in an organisation. It’s promoted as a way to create an engaged and empowered workforce; an antidote to a command and control culture.

But consultation takes time and can be counter productive. Countless hours can be lost in document reviews and meetings, sometimes with little benefit.

Yet consultation communicates that you and your organisation value people and respect their point of view, knowledge and experience.

So, think before you run every policy through the same consultation process. Discern which documents will benefit from consultation, and who should be involved.

Consider policies in three broad groups:

1. Policies where consultation is pointless

If you are developing policies or procedure to implement a non-negotiable directive from the board, or a piece of legislation, consultation may not be helpful. Just write the document and get on with it. Consultation in this situation may even be harmful – it can raise the expectation of negotiation and input when there is none. You could lose credibility.

2. Policies where input from others is essential

Sometimes subject matter expertise resides in a number of people. You’ll need to consult to find out what is happening, or the best way of doing something. Find the right people and involve them in every stage of drafting and review. You’ll end up with a richer outcome by listening to appropriate stakeholders.

3. Policies where people just want to have their say

There are some policies in an organisation that stir the passions – like the ‘car policy’. People want to be heard but full consultation is not mission critical. When developing policies like this, I often invite comment but don’t run a full consultation process. Of course, if you invite comment you need to consider it – revise the policy or provide other feedback.

(this blog inspired by a conversation with Adam Leonard, General Manager Human Resources, Anglicare)

How to avoid writing dull text

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Nothing makes a document duller than turning verbs (action words) into nouns (labels). So ‘inspect’ becomes ‘inspection’, ‘manage’ becomes ‘management’ and ‘use’ becomes ‘utilisation’ (my pet hate!).

Some people think words like these sound official and the sort of language that should be used in business documents. It’s just plain dull. If you replace action words with labels your writing will lose its vigour and power.

But worse than that, it hides meaning. For example, you can write ‘perform an inspection’ without clearly stating what is being inspected. But when you write ‘inspect the …..’ you are forced to say what to inspect, and perhaps what you are looking for.

In general, using verbs forces greater rigour in thinking and greater precision in writing.

And always choose the simplest word you can find in preference to impressive,  pompous words.

How good writing drives good thinking (with a down-side)

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There is a very close relationship between writing well and thinking well.
You cannot write well until you think well.

Writing helps thinking

The relationship with thinking is what excites me about writing.

When we write (and this could be a few words or even a diagram) we take the fuzzy, unformed ideas sitting in the back of our heads and make them explicit. We put them on a page or a screen. When we see our thoughts on paper, we are better able to interact with ideas, and thinking becomes richer and clearer.

The think-write-think process helps us figure out the best way of explaining ideas to others – we talk to ourselves and other people with greater clarity.

Poor writing is often the result of poor thinking. Ideas may be there, but if they haven’t been worked over and refined by writing and re-writing, they are unlikely to be understood by people other than the writer.

The down-side

The close relationship between writing and thinking means that every time you write something, you are exposing your thinking. That may be an uncomfortable thought. People may make judgements about your thinking capability based on the text you generate.

It’s all the more reason to strive to write plainly and clearly, so that readers can see through your words to interact with your ideas.

As with all endeavours, we can lift writing performance with proper training and disciplined practice.

Why people don’t read everything you write

Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

Business readers are predictable. They usually read for information, not for pleasure. They are constantly under pressure from other demands that compete for their time.

The thoughtful writer tries to convey as much information as possible, accurately and as clearly as possible, in as little reading as possible.

Business reading is different to reading a novel. Don’t try to hold your readers in suspense. Get to the point fast. Often a reliable headline is all readers need. Readers are eager to put your document aside as soon as they decide they have all they need.

But the reader may put your document aside too soon. They may scan a report or memo quickly and decide “this doesn’t have anything for me”, and miss the most important point. Or the reader may find some good information, be pleased, then say (again wrongly) “OK good stuff. I don’t need the rest” and miss something even more important. The skillful writer needs to ensure that really important information is received properly.

What is the one statement about which a writer would be willing to say: “It’s all right if my readers read nothing else”. That should appear at the beginning. And if it does, it may be truly all right if the reader reads nothing else.

In wanting to stop early, the reader is not lazy or irresponsible; it is simply that the reader is reading only for information, is busy, and is eager to receive important information quickly, then move on.

In business and government writing, seek to maximise meaning, minimise reading.

Action

Next time you write, identify the one statement your readers must read to get your message. Put this near the beginning.

Some of these ideas have been adapted from Put it in writing by A Joseph.

The price of good writing is constant vigilance

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All successful communication requires unwavering alertness. Never let your keyboard get ahead of your brain.

The moment we allow our fingers to race faster than our thoughts, we risk misunderstandings, offence, or maybe even complete miscommunication. Effective writing requires us to pause, consider our audience, and choose our words deliberately.

Prioritise mindfulness over speed. Each sentence should serve a clear purpose and reflect genuine understanding of the readers’ needs and perspectives. Avoid the common pitfalls of hasty responses: unclear instructions, unintended rudeness, or messages that completely miss their mark.

Our workplaces can be fast-paced and demanding – the pressure to respond immediately can be overwhelming. However, taking a few extra seconds to review and refine our writing leads to documents that are effective and achieve purpose.

How to write sentences

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Never begin a sentence until you are sure of what you want to say in it and how it will end.If that means you only write short, simple sentences for a while, that’s OK.

Think clearly before committing words to paper or screen so that every word serves a purpose. Rushing ahead without clarity can lead to confusion, both for you and your reader.

And usually just write one single, focused thought per sentence. This makes your writing easier to follow. Readers can process single ideas more effectively than complex, multi-layered statements that weave together several concepts.

But, if you choose to include more than one point in a sentence, place the most important thought first. Your reader will find your main message immediately, even if they stop reading mid-sentence.

If you do this, over time you’ll develop a writing style that is both powerful and easy to follow. You’ll be able to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly.

No need to start at the beginning when writing

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When writing any document, you don’t need to start at the beginning. Writing is often not a linear process.

Instead of stressing over the perfect opening line, focus on writing the sections you already have ideas for. Begin with the content you feel most confident about—whether it’s a key argument, a conclusion, or even a list of bullet points.

This initial burst of content serves as a solid foundation, and once those parts are in place, you can shape the rest of the document around them.

Starting where you are most comfortable is also a really useful way to approach corporate templates. 

An approach like this allows you to build momentum and avoid writer’s block. It’s a flexible, efficient strategy that helps you stay productive and develop a message that has impact.

How to get started when writing

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Just writing anything that comes into your head can be a surprisingly effective way to start writing. Free writing helps get the ideas flowing without the pressure of perfection.

When you let your thoughts spill onto the page uncensored, it helps unlock your thinking without worrying about perfection. It removes the pressure of getting everything right the first time and allows your ideas to develop naturally. It’s not about perfection at this stage; it’s about momentum.

You can always refine, reshape, and polish those raw ideas later. The key is to keep your pen moving or your fingers typing, even if what emerges feels messy or incoherent at first.

I often say, there’s no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.  The magic happens in revision, where you sculpt your initial thoughts into something compelling.

So give yourself permission to write badly at first—it’s an essential part of the creative process.

The dangers of copy and paste

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Copying and pasting from one document to another allows you to generate text quickly without thinking very hard. It gives the illusion of progress.

Copy and paste builds bulk but not always meaning.

This approach might seem efficient for meeting word counts or filling pages, but it often results in disjointed and incoherent content.

Using existing text is an effective way to get started and can provide a useful foundation or inspiration for your work, but always revise so the meaning is clear and relevant to the new document.

Each piece of writing has its own context, audience, and purpose. Simply transplanting text without adapting it will likely result in an ineffective document.

Thoughtful editing transforms text into meaningful communication, and that demonstrates both respect for your readers and a commitment to quality.

Lazy writing reflects lazy thinking. And remember, you cannot write well until you first think well.